Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-02-25
State AFFAIRS.
The Senate Ab,ut Equally Divided on
the Railway Commission and
the High License Bills.
The Special Committee in the Judge
Willis Inyestiga ion Make MRiOr-
lily and Minority Reports.
The Bill to Amend tho Road Law Under
Discussion in the House Many Con
stitutionGl Amendments
BILL TO AMEND THE ROAD LAW


| Special to the Gazette.
AUSTIN, TEX FEB. '24.-The House
this morning, in addition to powers here
tofore granted under existing laws, pro-
posed an amendment enlarging the scope
of the County Commissioners courts "to
| lay out and open public roads, and to
grade end otherwise improve the same
when they may deem necessary, and to
discontinue or alter any such road when
ever it shall be deemed eXpedient, and to
make appropriations out of the road and
bridge lund of the county thereof when
necessary" The bill also gives the Com
missioners' courts power te employ su-
peIvisOr of roads aud bridges, prescribing
his duties and compensation with some
slight changes in the matter of epp!ica-
tions, the manner ST laying out the roads
and making the county surveyors fore
men Of the juries of five persons, three of
whom, including the county surveyors,
can lay out, survey and describe roads TO
the greatest advantage 10 the public. 1t
| also extends the time to three months
residence in the county Immediately pre-
ceding such summons. This was the
status Of the bill before the House began
to strike out, amend and substitute this
morning. What it will be when it runs
the gauntlet is smother question.
/ THE RAILROAD COMMISSION BILL.
The Senate resumed the consideration
of the railroad commission bill this
morning. Senator Allen made an elo-
quant snd logical argument IN favor of
the bill. He accorded with the doctrine
promulgated by Governor Ross in his
message. He sa'd we wanted some
vigilant and watchful eyes to guard the
1 interest of the people. Competition
should be forced upon the railroads so
that they would make reasonable and
equitable rStes. He read extracts from
reports Hom the railroad commissions of
| Georgia and Illinois testifying to the sue
cess of the commission IN those states
| He then asked why the Senators of Texas
should put on their straight Jackets and
claim that from Texas alone could come
| all wisdom in railroad legislation. He
urged the Senste 10 vote for this commits
! sion bill and give some backbone to the
laws regulating railroads throughout our
state.
Senator Gregg was in favor of the bill
because he wanted some kind of
mediator to stand between the wrath of
the people and the already overgrown
| power of the railroads.
THE JUDGE WILLIS INVESTIGATION.
The special committee selected by the
| House to investigate the charges against
Judge Frank Willis, returned q majority
report at the morning session of the
| House, presenting charges against Judge
Willis and recommending that the House
request the Governor to remove Judge
Frank Willis from the office of District
Judge Of the Thirty first Judicial District
of Texas, on the folio wing charges:
/. That Frank Willis, Judge, as afore-
said, organized grand jury, nine mem
bers of which We're directly and indi-
rectly interested in defeating the state of
! Texas of the collection of the revenues
due by said parties for fOrcibly occupy
ing, fencing and herding on thg asylum,
University and public school lands OF the
state of Texas in his Judicial district.
! ,. That sBid grand jury, COllusively and
with intent 10 defraud and =feat the said
state in the lawful collection OF the said
revenues, indicted five of lis members,
including the foreman, il six cases each,
and returned the bills of Indictment into
open court sigaed by said foreman, Chas.
| Goodnight, all of which was within thu
! knowledge of said Judge Frank Willis,
3. That at the said term Of cOprt he
said Willis, as judge aforesaid, organized
petit JuTles in tiftV-siX cases, in each of
which the defendants stood indicted with
unlawfuiiy inclosing and herding On the
public school, asylum aud University
lands; that the jurors became aud
were disqualified in each Of said cases
sitter the first, for the following reasons:
lst. They had all by each preceding case
passed upon the law and facts involved
in the onr on trial. I'd. That from five 30
eight of the jurors in each case were in
direct participants and offenders in law IL
the commission of the off nseS FOR which
the defendants were being tried, by
reason of being employees of the indicted
persons, all OF which said Judge Frank
Willis then and there well knew.
4. That On the 18th day of January,
1886, the said grand jury indicted O. H.
Nelson for unlawfully inclosing the pub
lie school lands; that part of the penalty,
on conviction thereof could have bsen
two years imprisonment in the county
Jail; that on the same day the said Mel
son was put upon his trial before said
Judge and tried and acquitted, that Mel |
sen had not been arrested or n-tided of
the indictment or charge against him and
never knew or heard of the trial until he
saw report thereof IN O newspaper pub |
lished IN Fort Worth, several hundred |
miles away from the court, and he had
never authorized anyone to appear for
him--au of which the said Judge, Frank |
Willis, well knew or should have known. |
5. That in ell the aforesaid the court
unlawfully and knowingly permitted said
trials to be prosecuted by the District
Attorney, on salary as such paid by the /
cattle corporations composed chiefly of
the defendants; that said Frank Willis |
willfully neglected his duty as
judge in not suppressing said unjust,
fraudulent and partial trials, thst he was
guilty of criminal NEGLECT of duty in not
exposing and checking them; that he WAS
in the said cited instances oppressive ic
office in permitting citizens to be tried on
serious charges IN their absence and
without their knowledge, and that he is
now purposely and by reason of the in
fuence welded over him hy the SAID cat